


It's always been you

by chasing_the_wild_dream



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, True Love, a bit of Angst with a happy Ending, season 6 - canon divergence, swanqueen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-05
Updated: 2017-10-05
Packaged: 2019-01-09 11:41:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12275739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chasing_the_wild_dream/pseuds/chasing_the_wild_dream
Summary: Follows the events after Emma gives Hook back the ring, but I took quite a few liberties after that.Hook never comes back and leaves Emma heartbroken.It also leaves Regina helpless and worried about her friend until, one night, she learns why Killian decided to stay away.





	It's always been you

**I** t was close to midnight when Regina arrived at the docks.  
The full moon shone upon the water and if it hadn't been for the bone-chilling wind it would have been truly idyllic.  
Fall had come early.

Regina found herself wandering around Storybrooke, at night and in the company of absolutely no one, a lot lately.  
So much had happened.

Since Emma had come to town.  
Since Emma had broken the curse.  
Since Emma had come to save her and they had destroyed the trigger.  
Since Emma had helped her to move the moon in Neverland.  
Since Emma had brought back Marian.  
Since Emma had become The Dark One.  
Since Emma had followed Hook to the Underworld.  
Since Emma had cried over Hook's disappearance.

Emma.

It always came back to Emma.

The product of True Love.  
The daughter of Snow White and Charming.  
The enemy.  
The Saviour.  
The mother of Henry.

Her friend.  
Her family.

Regina had never been particularly fond of the pesky pirate for reasons she had no intention ever looking into, but seeing Emma so broken had pulled at her own heartstrings.  
All of them had been at the docks, waiting for her to come through the portal, Hook in tow, but when that door had finally opened and the fog had lifted there had only been Regina.

She hadn't understood and she still didn't. He had been right there, right behind her.  
She had felt his hook graze her hand while she had crossed through the portal and yet she had stood there all by herself while Emma's heart had shattered right in front of her very eyes.

It made no sense.  
He should be here.  
He should be with Emma and they should be happy.

Ever since that night, Regina tried to figure out where she had gone wrong because she needed to fix this.  
For Emma.  
Emma, who didn't even blame her, but herself.  
Because she had wanted to go and rescue Hook herself, but her parents had needed her and that had left Regina to the task.

In the beginning, she had feared that Emma would think she had done it out of some sense of payback.  
For Marian.  
For a thousand things really.  
But Emma had believed her like she always had since their rough start and Regina had vowed to herself then and there that she would move heaven and hell, if necessary, to make sure Emma got her happy ending.  
Even if she didn't like Hook, he was who Emma wanted.

And the heart wants what the heart wants after all.  
Against all reason and logic.  
Regina was perfectly aware of that.

That was probably the reason why she found herself at the docks almost every time she went for a midnight stroll.  
In hopes that the portal would magically open itself and Hook would walk through, but of course, they wouldn't be that lucky.

Regina was about to turn around and head home when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye.  
Two men were talking in front of the Nautilus. She had heard rumors that Captain Nemo was planning to set sail in the morning so it didn't surprise her at first.  
Till one of the men started to gesture wildly and she saw something shimmer in the moonlight.

At first, Regina thought she had imagined it, then she thought it might have been a piece of metal, but the closer she stepped, the clearer her vision became.  
It was a hook.

A few moments later his face came into view and Regina felt an anger rising in her chest that she hadn't felt since her days as the Evil Queen.  
She stalked closer, no longer bothering that somebody could hear her, her voice thundering through the night, “What the hell is going on?!”

She saw him jump in surprise, probably even shock, but she didn't care.  
Captain Nemo was smart enough to enter the Nautilus wordlessly, leaving Hook to fend for himself.

“How the hell did you get here? And when? Why are you not with Emma? Does she know you are back?”

Hook eyed the ship entrance, but Regina hissed through gritted teeth, magic at the ready, “Don't even think about it. And answer me!”

He sighed in defeat, but still said nothing. Not a single world.

“Don't you think you owe us an explanation? We went to all this trouble to save you time and time again and I came for you when Emma couldn't. For Emma. You were right behind me...”, Regina raged on without a pause.

“I was.”

“What?!”  
She glared at him in disbelief, “What are you saying? That you did come back with me? Then where were you?”

Hook dropped his head, “I was right here.”

“I don't believe you. How?”

“Do you remember that fog? It worked in my favor. When you were through the portal I jumped as well and rolled myself right into that open container next to you. And from there I snuck away. I am good at that. I am a pirate after all.”

Regina pitched the bridge of her nose.  
She couldn't believe this.  
That bloody pirate had been here all along?

“Why would you do that? Why would you do that to Emma?”, Regina stared at him so hard that she thought she could see right through him, “She cried over you. Emma cried over you for days.”

“I know.”

“You know?! That's all you have to say? Why didn't you reach out to her? Why didn't you tell her you are back? She's heartbroken!”, Regina needed all her willpower to stop herself from outright yelling.  
God, she was so desperate. Seeing Emma in so much pain had been killing her as well.

“Because I'm hurting too!”, Hook shouted and he didn't care one bit that he might wake someone up, “I was afraid that if I saw her, that if I saw her crying in front of me...that I would break. That I would apologize and beg for her to take me back. But I can't do that. Not anymore. I've hurt her enough.”

“So what? You're running away like a coward?”  
Regina felt a migraine coming. She couldn't believe this. 

Hook sat down on a crate and patted the one next to him, but Regina had no intention of sitting down. Especially not next to that imbecile.  
But he only patted the wooden crate again, “Come now, mate. If you want an explanation you better sit.”

“I'm not your mate”, Regina hissed, but took a seat none-the-less.

“Well, you aren't my love either”, Hook joked, but turned serious as soon as he caught a glimpse of the fireball in Regina's hand.

“When Emma gave me back the engagement ring I went for a bit of a stroll. To clear my head, you know? And I came to see the captain because he wanted me to go on another adventure with him, but I told him that I was done running. That I was going back to Emma because even villains got second chances. And hopefully even third ones”, Hook gave her a small smile at the memory.

“Then I don't understand...”

“And then Gideon happened”, Hook added with a sigh, “I had quite a bit of time to think while I was chained to that tree and I couldn't help, but remember what Emma had said to me when she had found out that I wanted to burn my memories. And I realized that I'll never be the man she needs me to be.”

Regina knew that she would probably regret it, but she asked anyway, “What did she say?”

He closed his eyes and he could see the scene play out in front of him as if it would have happened yesterday.

_Emma's pain. The anger and the disappointment in her eyes._

_“You come to me, Hook, and you lean on me! And you trust **me**. We have to stop hiding things from each other. The man I fell in love with would know that. He_ _would know that we do things together.”_

_How he had tried to say something, something that would make this right. How he had come up empty._

_“That is what I agreed to marry. That's what I thought that we were together. Until you are ready for that...”_

_How she had taken off the ring to give it back to him._

_“Then we can talk.”_

 

Regina stared at the ring he was holding in his good hand now.

“I'm not that man. I don't know what she has seen in me, but I'm not that man. You and I know that, Regina. You might have managed to redeem yourself, but I didn't. I won't. You've always been stronger than me. Stronger than most”, Hook said, “Emma saw what she wanted to see. She thought I would change, would be better because you could. Because you are a hero now. But that doesn't make me one.”

“Hook, listen...”

“No, Regina. I'm not naive. I'm not an honest man. I manipulate, I lie. That's who I am. I love Emma, but look what I did to her. Time and time again. If I didn't manage to change during all this time...what are the chances I ever will?”

If Regina was honest she had no answer to that.

“We don't share True Love, Swan and I. How many times have we tried to break a curse or something with True Love's kiss? It doesn't work. It should be an instant connection. We both know that. So whoever is destined to be with her...it's not me”, Hook sounded so defeated as he said. It was the first time Regina felt something akin to sympathy for the man.

“I'm not trying to tell you what to do because quite frankly you won't listen to me anyway. But you should talk to her. You should leave the choice to Emma. It's her life. And she loves you.”  
Regina got up to get her blood flowing.  
Damn, it really had gotten cold.

Hook did the same and shook his head, “We're leaving.”

They stood there for a moment, a sudden breeze turning the air even chillier before Hook cleared his throat, “You'll take care of her, won't you?”

“You know I will.”

He nodded quickly, “Thank you, Regina. I know you never liked me and you had no business saving me so many times. And yet you did.”

Regina gave him a small smile, “And yet I did. Because Emma loves you and she is family. Don't let fear drive you away now, Hook. It doesn't suit you. Go back to her. You love her.”

“So do you.”

It felt like a slap in the face or getting hit by a bullet and Regina staggered a few steps back, eyes wide.

“I've known for a while, Regina. Can't blame you. Swan's a badass.”

“I don't...I...”

“It's okay, love. Think about it. Emma said she wants someone who leans on her, someone who trusts her. And someone who can be that person for her too”, Hook got ready to enter the Nautilus, “She already has that person. It's you, Regina. It's probably always been you.”

**Author's Note:**

> _Inspired by a prompt shared by Amelia in the SQ group I'm in. Thanks again! :-*_


End file.
